Retrospect
by oreoplatzchen
Summary: ["This makes me feel like we're really a family…that we're really having a baby, Jin." He whispered and her eyes shone as the smile on her face broadened. Jinora knew exactly what her husband meant and took his hand into hers with a squeeze. ] Collaboration with Avatarfan82
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! We have a new story for you! This one is a collaboration between me and Avatarfan82! You should check out her other stories and give us a lot of feedback! This is our first time doing a collaboration and we really hope you enjoy!**

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Jinora sat in the living room staring dejectedly at the seemingly everlasting pile of clothes she was now in the process of folding. She had gotten a plethora of new clothing to support her rounding figure; it was a nice change from the hassle of her airbending robes to have supportive leggings and bindings. She had however neglected to launder them and everything else until today.

'This is what I get for putting this off for so long," she thought to herself bitterly as she got to her feet with some effort and placed a hand on her aching lower back.

Now that she was nearly six months pregnant, she found herself feeling more and more uncomfortable with each passing day. The morning sickness had abated a few months back, thank the spirits, along with the debilitating fatigue. However the heartburn and indigestion were kicking in as her stomach grew and her body became more rotund. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her own skin.

After getting her bearings, she headed back into the bedroom to put away the clothes that were folded neatly in her arms. As she entered the room, she set the clothes down on the bed and pulled open the closet to make sure there was space for everything she was now jamming into the small space. The first thing she laid eyes on when she opened the door was one of Bolin's coats. She stepped closer to the garment to run her fingers across it, and immediately was able to detect his scent wafting up to her nose. She felt tears spring into her eyes as she inhaled deeply. The unmistakable mixture of his cologne and something else that was uniquely him overtook her senses so strongly that she almost felt as if he were standing at her side. Before she could get too lost in the moment, she felt a prominent kick to her ribs from inside of her belly that startled her. She giggled as she placed a hand on the spot where the kick had come from and smiled.

"I know you miss daddy just as much as I do, little man." she said aloud, as if trying to comfort the child growing inside of her. "I promise he'll be home soon."

It just wasn't soon enough for her liking. The fact that he and his brother's work took them to different countries was wonderful, but terrifically inconvenient.

As she stood there stroking her belly, she reminisced of the day that she revealed to Bolin the news that they were expecting a child. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile as she relived the nerve-wracking, but joyous day.

"Hey, Jin! I got the stuff you wanted from the store." Bolin called as he shoved open the front door of their home and pushed it closed behind him. He walked into the kitchen proudly holding a grocery bag.

"You said you wanted this gross-looking broth and some mint leaves to make tea. The guy at the store said the mint should definitely help with your upset stomach." He explained, setting the bag down on the counter. When he didn't hear Jinora answer him, he glanced up at her and noticed that she had a look of awe on her face. She was lost in a daze, clutching the phone receiver in her hand, staring off at nothing in particular.

"Jin, sweeetheart? You okay?" he questioned, slightly raising his eyebrow. She seemed to startle herself out of her trance at that moment, and immediately hung up the phone. She then looked up at him and smiled faintly as she said,

"Sorry, honey. I just got a little distracted."

"Yeah, I can see that," he replied, making his way to where she stood in the middle of the kitchen. He then placed his hand on her forehead, pretending to check her for a fever.

"Well, you don't feel hot or anything. So, why are you standing here with that weird look on your face? You're starting to freak me out." His brow was furrowed as he scanned her face and body for any sign of illness.

She didn't say anything in reply, but just looked into the soft green eyes of the handsome earthbender standing before her. As serene as her facial expression was, it did nothing to calm Bolin's apprehensions about her behavior, if anything it made him paranoid. He glanced at the phone that was just in her hand and asked, "So, who was that?"

"Korra," Jinora replied immediately and he nodded.

"What did she want? Was she trying to get you to agree to another night of babysitting their little rugrats? I swear you need to start charging her and my brother for all the work you do." He said with a chuckle. Jinora smiled at his comment and shook her head downward letting her long eyelashes fall to the tops of her cheeks.

"I like doing it, Bo! There is no shame in spoiling my nieces and nephew and their parents. But, no, that's not why she called."

"Well?" he prodded, folding his arms as a look of confusion crossed his face. He couldn't understand why she was being so mysterious about a simple call from his sister-in-law. Jinora was never this guarded with him.

"She was giving me the results of the test she did for me earlier. I had her take a look at me this morning because I wanted some insight into why I've been feeling so sick."

Bolin nodded in approval. "Good idea. What did she have to say?"

The expression on Jinora's face softened and her eyes misted over as she took his hand gently.

"She had some interesting things to say. But the main thing she said was congratulations."

Now Bolin looked thoroughly puzzled.

"Congratulations?" he repeated and she nodded. Before he could ask any more questions and resolve his utter confusion, she pressed his hand firmly against her tummy. Bolin stared down at her in shock as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

"Jinora, you're…"

She nodded excitedly; the tears brimming in her eyes spilt over, trickling down her face into her smile.

"You're pregnant?!"

"Yes!" Her voice cracked underneath her tears and elation.

Bolin's eyes lit up and gleamed as a grin spread across his face.

"This is awesome! We're having a baby!" he exclaimed. He gently wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. He pulled back and wiped the tears off her face, before sweetly kissing her lips. He stepped back from her farther prior to scooping her up in a bridal-carry to spin her around in ecstasy.

"We finally get to have a rugrat of our own." he said fondly and Jinora nodded as the smile on her face grew even wider, which she wasn't even sure was possible.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked, pulling her face away just enough to look Bolin in the eye. There was a slightly timid quality to her tone that he found adorable, as if she had genuinely been afraid he wasn't. He tenderly returned her feet to the floor and placed his hand back on her tummy as his gaze settled on her lovingly.

"As long as you're with me, I'm ready for anything." he murmured and this response immediately brought a lump to her throat. She silently leaned up and planted a kiss squarely on her husband's lips. Then they simply held each other blissfully as they let the news sink in that they would soon be parents.

Jinora wiped her eyes as she lowered herself onto the bed, trying to gain a semblance of composure to finish the day's tasks. To her chagrin, however, her lower lip began to tremble and she knew that another emotional breakdown was rearing its head. As beautiful as the memory of that distinctive day was, it had mainly served as a harsh reminder that the love of her life and father of her unborn child was thousands of miles away from her.

"Jinora? Where are you?" Pema's voice floated into the room from the living room in sing-song as the front door closed. Jinora hated for her mom to see her like this, curled up and crying on her bed. But, she knew that her breakdown and emotions were too far gone and poise was an unattainable goal.

"Here you are!" Pema proclaimed, breezing into the bedroom and failing to notice the crying airbender on the bed.

"I'm sorry I'm late today. Meelo needed some help packing for college. I had to make sure he actually took the essentials. I swear that child has not learned a thing about taking care of himself."

Pema continued wandering around the room, rearranging and tidying up until she realized that she hadn't heard any response from her daughter. She stopped what she was doing and glanced at the bed to see her lying there sobbing into the pillows. Her entire body was shaking and Pema immediately ran over to her in alarm.

"Sweetie? What's wrong? Are you in pain? It is the baby?" she asked, concern etched in her eyes. Jinora shook her head as she continued to cry silently and Pema nodded in understanding. She sat down next to her child and gently stroked her hair.

"I know this is hard for you, having him so far away at a time when you need him the most. You two were never ones for separation."

After a few moments passed, Jinora finally uncovered her face, sat up, and let out a heavy sigh.

"I thought I could do this, but I don't know anymore, mom. Every time I'm reminded of him, I break down. And he is everywhere; in every thought, in every breath. For goodness sake, every time our son kicks it's just a reminder of his father." she explained through shuddering breaths, with her hand wrapped protectively over her abdomen.

Pema wrapped her arms around her and then kissed her temple.

"You know, when I was pregnant with you, your father was gone for several months."

Jinora looked over at her mom in surprise and sniffled.

"Seriously?" she questioned and Pema nodded.

"Yes. He had to travel for the council, visit every nation. He was gone on and off with Oogi. It was very difficult, I must admit, but I did make it through."

Jinora looked expectantly at her mother as she asked, "How did you do it? It just doesn't seem possible right now."

Pema, looked her directly in the eye and stated, "Well, first off, I depended a lot on my family and friends for support. Your aunt Kya and Gran-Gran came to stay with me. They knew far more about pregnancy than I. It was an immense relief to have that knowledge at hand."

Jinora looked down in embarrassment as slight color came to her cheeks. Her mother had managed to point out one of her weaknesses in a not-so-subtle way. She had never been good at asking for help. To her, it was a sign of weakness; a sign she did not want to reveal. Pema smiled sadly and gently rubbed her back as she continued,

"We're all here to help you, Jinora. But, you have to let us."

Jinora knew her mom was right, but she was so used to going inside of her own head with her journal or a good book that it was a struggle for her to carry out the advice. As if to emphasize Pema's point, Jinora suddenly felt a strong and painful kick that forced her to clutch her belly and wince.

"Ow! This kid has some timing," she muttered as she slightly shifted her position while Pema chuckled. "And strength." Jinora added, still rubbing the tender spot.

"I think he agrees with his grandma," Pema said, giving Jinora's belly an affectionate pat. Jinora rolled her eyes as she turned to stand.

"Well, I guess, I do need a little help with these clothes." She said as she made her way back to her closet.

"See, it's not so hard, is it?" Pema questioned as a smirk played on her lips. Jinora just shook her head in silence, as if to disregard the question.

Within a few hours of the two women straightening up the house, Jinora told Pema that she needed to sit down to rest for a few minutes. When Pema went back to go check on her ten minutes later, she was fast asleep on the living room couch. She was curled into a ball and Pema smiled to herself while grabbing a light-weight blanket that was draped across an armchair. She gently covered Jinora with the blanket and then gave her a light kiss on the cheek before disappearing back into the kitchen to continue cleaning up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and I hope we can only make it better with a new chapter! Please review! Me and Avatarfan82 would appreciate it so much! I hope you continue to enjoy!**

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A full six months pregnant, Jinora couldn't believe there were only three months left to her joy and torture. She couldn't wait for her son to join her and her husband, her beautiful husband who should be returning in time for his son's birth. She also couldn't wait to have her body back. To be free and lithe and bend air around herself however she pleased without regard to minor mishaps. But, she would gladly endure all of this for her son's well-being and so her husband wouldn't miss a single part of their boy's life.

Looking up and noticing the time, Jinora realized she needed to be on her way. She had an appointment on Air Temple Island with one of the Acolyte midwives. No one would let her use her glider either, which was a perpetual thorn in her side. So she would have to take the time to take the ferry home. She was getting antsy with all of these loving people being so caring and suffocating to ensure she took extra precaution. She knew everyone was hoping for a perfect pregnancy and that included her son being an airbender. She had to admit; she was too. It would take the pressure off of her siblings to _have_ to produce an airbending child. It would take the pressure off of her and Bolin, too. It wasn't that people wouldn't expect more, but they only _needed_ one.

She grabbed her bag and headed out the door and to the docks_. _All she truly hoped for was a healthy baby who was happy. Preferably one that stayed in the womb until his father came home. Still, she would love him no matter what, but it would be a relief to her and Bolin to both be there for such a momentous occasion.

With all of the craziness surrounding Bolin's travel, they hadn't even picked a name. Not together at least. She had settled on Adan and figured she deserved the right to name her son. She gave her body to him for nine months, and her husband hadn't even been there to help her at all. Well, that wasn't entirely true and she knew it wasn't fair to make it sound as if he had been gone throughout the whole pregnancy. In reality, he hadn't left until she was about three months along. As she continued her trek to Air Temple Island, she reminisced about one particular evening she and Bolin had spent together.

_It had been one of his last days in Republic City. The couple was nestled under a tree in a particularly soft patch of grass taking in the vibrant sunset. Her head was in his lap and his hand made slow circles on her barely rounded but firming stomach, making Jinora giggle._

"_You are going to have to get used to that, love. Soon everyone is going to be rubbing your belly with no regard for your personal space."_

"_Ugh. I'll be huge. I'll be waddling and people will be touching me." The distaste in her tone was evident as she contemplated the well-meaning but annoying friends, relatives, and strangers who would be unnaturally attracted to her expanding mid-section_

"_You'll be beautiful, and they will just want to share in the joy of our small squishy baby thing." He emphasized by poking her belly button._

"_That doesn't mean they can touch me." She replied, her lips curling into a small pout. Bolin smiled and then planted a light kiss on her pout in an attempt to loosen it back into a relaxed smile. It worked like a charm. _

"_No, it doesn't, but they will." He insisted._

"_He's our baby not theirs. The only person besides me who has free access to my tummy is you." Now she crossed her arms defiantly, as if that action would keep unwanted personal space violators at bay. However, Bolin was more interested in the first word that had come out of her mouth._

"_He? When did we definitively find that out?" He asked, raising an eyebrow._

"_A mother knows." She added with a wink. "We'll know for sure soon, though."_

"_I still think it's a girl." He pointed out and Jinora rolled her eyes._

"_I pray to the spirits it's not. You'll spoil her positively rotten."_

"_Who's to say I won't spoil a son?" he challenged, with an amused tone in his voice._

"_Me."_

_Bolin chuckled at that response as he continued to stroke her tummy._

"_Says the woman I spoil to no end."_

"_And I don't deserve it." She said, a sadness coming into her voice then. Within seconds, her eyes suddenly widened and she sucked in a breath as she placed a hand on the left side of her belly and looked into Bolin's eyes in surprise. Bolin, who already had his hand there, smiled brightly as an expression of excitement also crossed his face._

"_Did you feel that, Bo? He kicked!" she said and he nodded vigorously. Then he chuckled as he felt another solid kick. Neither had felt this much movement from their unborn child before and they instantly felt their connection to the little baby growing. They gazed lovingly at each other for a moment and then shared a sweet kiss. After they parted, Jinora looked off into the distance as she continued,_

"_I don't know how I am going to deal with this pregnancy without you doting on me. It hasn't even gotten hard yet. Just a lot of vomiting." she said. _

_As if on cue, she quickly sat upright as she clutched her midsection. "Speaking of that…"she trailed off as a strong wave of nausea hit her so hard that she doubled over. Bolin reacted immediately and quickly helped her to her feet and to a nearby restroom so she could relieve herself. When she was done, she made her way back to her husband who wrapped and arm around her, helping to support her as she walked._

"_Let's go home," he murmured into her hair and she nodded. Then they left the park and began the short journey back to their house._

Korra eventually told her the day before Bolin left that they were in fact having a boy. And, he was there for the most emotional parts of the process, like telling her parents. Of course, they were beyond thrilled. There were also press-releases to be made and Bolin spear-headed those efforts as well. The initial pressures were through before he left which she was grateful for, but his departure was still very ill-timed.

As she thought again about the baby, she decided that Bolin would like Adan for the name. It was strong and pure.

Now on the ferry, she was halfway to the island when she could make out her brothers playing with her niece and two nephews while their mother watched with her newest baby cradled in her arms. When she got to the dock, Ren, Talan, and Mari surrounded their Aunt Jinora with hugs and kisses and her brothers came to greet her as well. They had grown to both be tall and lanky and still thick as thieves.

"Hey Mari, go get your sister!" Meelo told the young girl. The pair shared a glint in their eyes and Jinora scrutinized her brother's face to detect any hint of what was happening.

"What's going—Aunt KYA!" Mari led Kya to the docks to her niece. Kya was holding Mari's younger sister Nika. Jinora teared up.

"It's my Aunt holding my niece." She said to herself and they hugged each other awkwardly once Kya was within reach.

"My Nora. Sweetheart, look at you. You glow. Your mom told me you were coming today to see the midwife and I wanted to be here and surprise you."

"As much as I love this and you, no more surprises for the pregnant woman. Adan gets too excited about it." She grabbed her Aunt's hand and held it against her taut stomach to allow her aunt to feel the vibrations and pulsations of her son trying to escape the womb.

"With those moves I don't foresee a nimble airbender." Kya said, her eyebrows raising in awe at all the activity she felt.

"Well maybe he'll be clumsy, but I hope he'll at least be one."

Her aunt led her by the arm towards the house where Jinora would be able to sit comfortably.

"Don't you worry about that. There are four of you and we've got two of you married. I have faith in Rohan and Meelo that with time they will marry off as well. You don't need to do this to yourself. I saw your parents do it. I saw my parents do it. And if it didn't tear them apart I'll be damned because it flat out broke my heart to watch. You respect your elders and their wishes, young lady."

"It's hard not to worry about it, but I'll be happy as long as he's healthy and preferably his father is here for the birth."

Kya looked at her in surprise as she said, "Bolin isn't here?"

"Mom didn't tell you? He left about three months ago. He and Mako are helping the United Forces teaching special forces street and probending fighting techniques. Earthbending teachers of Bolin's caliber were in high demand. So we agreed he would go, but that was before he went and knocked me up. Now, he's gone until two weeks before I'm due. He was supposed to have a month off to give a wide margin of error for the birth and to give us some time. But, then he had to return indefinitely. I can go with him once the baby and I can travel, which is good. However, I haven't gotten a reply to my last two letters so I think they may be encountering some issues at their 'remote' location." Jinora released a deep sigh, feeling a weight being lifted off of her in being able to tell her aunt about all that had been going on.

"So you've been in your house alone all this time?" Her aunt looked concerned at the prospect of her favorite niece spending so much time alone, especially with her independent nature in conjunction with her delicate situation.

"Mom comes by most days. Korra or Ikki come by when Mom can't. I never go outside of the damn house without anyone else either. I live in a bubble." She said this bitingly; the bitterness in her tone didn't go unnoticed by her aunt.

"You shouldn't be alone for this, my dear. You should stay here, especially now that things are going to be getting increasingly difficult for you."

"Maybe. . .I'm going to go meditate at the pavilion until the midwife is ready. She'll tell Mom when that is. Send someone out for me, okay?" Jinora said. There were too many thoughts swirling around in her head and she needed time to think.

"Of course." Kya insisted. She gave one last hug to her niece before leaving her alone to her own thoughts.

Every day she was consumed by this longing for her husband to be by her side. On top of that, the surprise of Aunt Kya arriving and her possibly moving home was a little too much to handle at the moment for Jinora. She could feel her body begin to react to the stress and her pulse needed to slow down. She laid down to mediate, as she couldn't comfortably maintain the normal posture any longer. She let everything clear from her mind and focused on the movements of the air around her. She drifted off into a deep state of relaxation.

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Tenzin was taking a walk around the island purely out of desire to take in the beauty of the fall, until he saw his eldest daughter lying limp on the meditation pavilion. He ran over to her and knelt down to feel for her pulse.

"Thank the Spirits." He breathed out as he felt her pulse pound against his fingertips and his daughter stir beneath him. Her eyes snapped open and she began to breathe heavily, quickly. She fumbled and frantically kept feeling around for her stomach and surroundings before taking deep breaths as her father looked on worriedly.

"Jinora, are you alright?" She just focused on deeply breathing and nodded slowly before answering.

"I came out here to mediate. I chose to do it lying down because sitting was too difficult. I guess I actually fell asleep. I was dreaming that there was a doctor and midwives running around with my baby and it was-"

"-Just a dream. But for now I'll walk you into the house." She nodded as her father helped her up. "When did you get to the island?"

"I came to see the midwife after lunch. I haven't even seen Mom yet. I talked to Aunt Kya and then came out here. She was supposed to come get me when it was time to see the midwife." She was still breathing quite heavily but walking. Her father was using his airbending to alleviate some of weight from her bearings.

"We'll take care of that first thing. Maybe we'll even have Kya look at you." She glared at her father's implication that she was infirm. "Just to be safe." He added, hoping to disarm her suspicion.

"Ugh. I'll be fine Dad. I just fell asleep. It's no big deal."

Jinora couldn't stand anymore doting worry, her father not excluded.

When they finally made it to her room, her father released her and said, "Go lay down sweetheart. I'll send your mom and aunt in soon."

"Midwife too Daddy. And tea." She looked up with big, pleading eyes. "Please." She added. She was so thirsty after her nap.

"Of course, sweetie." He then placed a loving kiss on her forehead. "Now just rest."  
As soon as Tenzin closed her door behind him, he nearly sprinted to the main living quarters to find his big sister. He saw her sitting on a couch looking through a book of waterbending styles and she looked up at him when he ran in the room.

"Tenzin! It's so nice to see you again. I thought you were away at a….hey, what's wrong? Your face is white as a sheet." She slowly stood up and walked toward Tenzin, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's Jinora." He said and Kya's face transformed from mild concern to outright fear.  
"What happened? Tenzin, is she okay? Is the baby alright?" She seemed ready to run out of the room, but Tenzin stopped her.

"Kya, hold on. She's okay right now. I am just scared for her. I was walking around outside just a moment ago and found her passed out in the pavilion. She had fallen asleep while meditating and had a nightmare. She was completely limp when I found her and her pulse was racing after she woke up. Would you please look at her just to make sure she's really okay? I trust Jia, but you're the best." He had such a look of concern on his face and Kya gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Zinny, don't worry about it. I'll be happy to examine her. I'm sure she's fine, so please don't worry." She said light heartedly, but inwardly was dampened by fear for her niece. With that, the two siblings immediately went to grab Pema and Jia before heading to Jinora's room.

Jinora was lying down in the medical quarters waiting for someone to check her. This day just couldn't get any longer. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to bring a book to keep her company. She could only sip tea for so long before becoming inconsolably bored. She could be at home getting Adan's room situated, crocheting the blankets for his cradled bed. She could be reading or writing. Actually anything was better than waiting. She had begun to recite the Avatars in reverse order: Korra, Aang, Roku, Kyoshi. . .she almost got to the end of the list when her mother came in.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Bored. Pregnant. Warm."

"Well, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but one of the acolytes broke her arm and Jia and myself were setting it." Jia, the midwife, chose that moment to come into the room.

"Hello my very pregnant friend, how are you and the little one doing?" She inquired as she came over to Jinora and put a hand on her stomach. She began to prod and poke to feel the baby's movements and position.

"He has been kicking around a lot. Not just at night anymore either. He likes if I sing, even if it is out of key. He moves more gently when I do. It's awesome for when I need to fall asleep." Jia found the baby's heartbeat and her face lost its smile. She grabbed Jinora's wrist to check her pulse.

"Have you developed new symptoms? Headache? Returning Nausea? Dizziness?" Jia asked trying to feign pure curiosity, but concern was seeping into her expression.

"I've had head and back aches, some blurring vision, but nothing too worrisome." Jia leaned toward Pema and whispered something to her. Pema left the room and returned with Kya. "What's going on?" Jinora demanded, noticing everyone's strange behavior.

"Your blood pressure is very high and I'm worried. With your new symptoms, I think you should be put on bed rest. I want Kya to try to lower your pressure. If she can, it will increase the chances of a full term pregnancy."

"What if she can't?" Jinora's voiced cracked, the expectant mother worrying.

"Then we keep you on bed rest and hope he waits to join this world. The lower we can keep your blood pressure the better."

"You have got to be kidding me! I have to lie still for three months?! Not to mention I might deliver early! Yeah, this is a great way to keep my blood pressure down." Jinora voiced sardonically. "On top of that, my husband won't be able to be here if the baby's early."

"Jinora, this is serious. If I cannot lower your pressure, then there is a significant chance that your condition will escalate, which will put you and the baby's life in danger." Kya interjected.

"What? Mom, is that true?" Jinora pleaded as her eyes filled with tears. Pema also had tears spilling down her cheeks as she sat down next to her daughter and wrapped both arms around her.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We're going to make sure you and the baby are safe. Please don't worry." She said, her own voice choked with worry and fear. Jinora knew her mom was trying to put on a brave face, but she was failing miserably. She immediately dissolved into a crying fit as she clutched her mother tightly. Pema continued to hold her firmly and stroke her hair. Kya came nearby and rubbed her back gently.

"My dear, I wasn't trying to scare you. I just needed you to understand what's going on. Like your mom said, we are doing everything in our power to make this safe for you both, but the dangers are real. I want you to understand them because the more you know, the more you'll follow the healer's orders. Okay?"

Jinora briefly nodded her head, but couldn't get past all of the information that had just been dumped on her. She pulled away from her mom then, wiping her eyes, and choked out,

"Bo needs to know what's going on. Can someone please send him a message? I. . . I can't. I can't tell him. I just want him here."

"Absolutely. We're going to get a message out to him immediately. We have a direct line to General Iroh and we should be able to get the information to him more quickly that way." Pema assured her.

Jinora seemed to slightly relax at that statement and continued to hold on to her mother as she closed her eyes.

"Please stay here with me, mom. I don't want to be by myself." She said in a child-like voice. Pema felt fresh tears come to her eyes and she nodded her head.

"I'm right here, sweetie, and I'm not going anywhere." She promised. She motioned for Jia to go inform the others of the news while Kya began to prepare her water for a healing session. Mother and daughter remained in that position for quite a while longer, depending on each other for warmth and comfort.


	3. Chapter 3

Bolin stood in front of this morning's patrol of United Forces earthbending trainees as they practiced basic forms of the street style techniques they were expected to learn. He wore a dark, vivid uniform as he paced slowly before the group of fearful, sweaty recruits.

"Come on! What are you guys doing? I said left foot down and then right! Everyone start over from the top and do it right! One slip-up from anyone and everyone gets forty laps!" He barked out, sounding like rabid, ferocious creature. The tense recruits continued practicing the form, all the while casting furtive glances at their fearless leader who seemed to be acting unlike himself. Even Bolin's demeanor appeared different. His arms were crossed tightly in front of his chest; his normally relaxed stance was rigid and terse. His characteristically friendly eyes were narrowed and seemed to be the shade of jealousy. His normally relaxed eyebrows were furrowed in frustration and his mouth was set in a harsh line. This was nothing like the spirited, jovial Bolin that everyone knew and it was disturbing. One person who was particularly concerned was a uniformed firebender who walked up to Bolin at that choice moment and said, "Hey."

"What?" Bolin shouted, pivoting on his heel and he was met with a surprised Mako who threw his hands up and raised his eyebrows in defense.

"Woah, Bro! Calm down! It's me." He claimed and Bolin sighed in frustration.

"Man, Mako, you can't sneak up on a man like that. I damn near took a swing at you!"

He scowled and tensed as Mako carefully placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Bo, let's take a walk." He said, clutching his shoulder and turning him the other direction.

"Ow, that hurts!" Bolin protested as he tried to loosen himself from his brother's grip. However, the more he squirmed the more vice-like Mako's grip became.

"Just walk with me," Mako said between gritted teeth as he continued to force his brother to follow him.

"But, what about my class?" His pleading tone sounded much more like the Bolin that Mako recognized, the one they all missed.

"We've got that covered. Just keep walking," Mako instructed. By the time they got to a secluded clearing, Bolin thought his shoulder was going to dislocate. Mako finally released his hold and Bolin immediately grabbed his shoulder, whimpering in pain.

"I think you actually injured me, Mako. What's wrong with you?" he asked, still grimacing as he tried to rotate his shoulder.

"Me? Excuse me, but you're the one with the tyrant attitude lately. What the hell's your problem?" Mako said, his tone turning angry, offended his brother was acting this way.

"Are you criticizing my techniques? Those guys don't know their left from their right. I'm just trying to whip them into shape!" Bolin defended himself.

"No you're not. No wonder they can't think straight. You're yelling at them and scaring the crap out of them! This isn't some barbaric Fire Nation military boot camp! They're going to be practically useless in a fight. What are you thinking?"

Bolin glared back at his brother for a moment until he suddenly seemed to lose his nerve. He had no retort to that. He dropped his head in defeat and sighed heavily in frustration at himself. He ran his hand through his thick, wavy locks as he stared down at his feet, trying to sort his thoughts.

"It's Jinora, isn't it?" Mako finally said gently, a look of realization crossing his face.

Bolin didn't respond, but his body language said it all. His shoulders went slack, shrugging forward. His hand slid down his face.

"I wrote her two letters weeks ago and haven't heard from her. I have a right to be worried, Mako. What if something's wrong with her or our son? It's not like her to not write me. I usually don't have enough time to write her back before I get another letter."

Mako nodded thoughtfully as he crossed his arms. Bolin had be the center of envy earlier in their deployment. He always had a letter or two at every mail call, while many recruits never received a scrap of mail.

"I get your point, but don't you think we would have heard something by now? We would have gotten a telegram or an emergency correspondence or something." Mako mused.

"I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something is wrong, Mako." Bolin said quietly. As the two brothers stood quietly for a moment, they were interrupted by an authoritative yet cautious voice.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Bolin and Mako looked up to see General Iroh standing before them. They both immediately stood at attention with salute, but Iroh disarmed them with a wave of his hand.

"None of that, you two. Not here at least. How are things going?" Not expecting an answer, he looked over at Bolin with a raised eyebrow as he said, "I heard you conducted a spirited training session a little while ago."

Bolin placed his hand over his eyes in embarrassment as he said, "I'm sorry about that, General. I guess I got a little carried away."

"I understand; it happens to the best of us. Though, that is not why I'm here. I need you both to follow me to my office. We have a sensitive matter to discuss."

Iroh didn't wait for a response as he turned around to head back the way he came. Mako and Bolin shared concerned glances but immediately fell into step behind him.

As soon as they arrived in his office, Iroh motioned for them to sit down. There was a stack of mail sitting on his desk and Bolin couldn't help but notice the letter on the top of the stack.

"General, not to speak out of turn, but did you steal my letters to my wife?" Bolin asked in confusion and Iroh looked down at the letters as she shook his head.

"No, I didn't. It turns out that there is an issue with the mailing system. Outgoing mail hasn't been properly dealt with, these letters among them. Incoming mail has been unreliable as well. I'm sorry, but these letters never made it to your wife." Iroh said apologetically.

Bolin's mouth dropped open as he stared at the general in shock. "Oh, man! Jin is going to kill me, and that would be a normal Jin reaction. I don't know what she'll do to me with all of those hormones. Ugh, she's probably worried sick! Iroh, is their anyway to send emergency correspondence?" Bolin insisted, standing as if to leave, desperate for anyway to contact Jinora. The general patiently intercepted him.

"Bolin, please stay seated. We've just received pertinent information that you need to know about immediately."

General Iroh then handed over a letter addressed to Bolin, in care of the General, sent as urgent post.

Bolin remained standing as he grabbed the letter and hastily ripped it open. As he began to read what was written, his jaw went slack and he collapsed heavily into his chair. Mako's eyes displayed alarm as he took the letter from his brother, who had finished it by then. He read it himself and had a similar reaction to his brother.

"Oh, no." he murmured. Then he looked from Bolin to Iroh. Both brothers were too stunned to speak so Iroh forged ahead.

"This letter was sent over a week ago, but our delivery problems delayed it even in urgent status. I was alerted to the problem after receiving an emergency telegram from Tenzin. The family got concerned after still failing to get a response to the last letter and no news from either of you, I am sure that is myself included. I put some people on the issue and that's how we discovered this letter as well as all of the other ones that are right here on my desk. This seems to be the only emergency case from the issue, but I take full responsibility and apologize profusely."

Bolin still seemed to be in a trance. Mako looked at Iroh uncertainly. Iroh's face remained calm, stoic, but there was a look of concern and sadness in his eyes. He genuinely felt bad for the young earthbender. Mako then turned back at his brother, trying to figure out how to bring him around.

"Hey, Bo…" he began, but Bolin snapped out of it then and waved his hand as he got to his feet.

"I need a sec. I'm sorry. . .but I'll be right back."

With that, he quickly left the office and went outside. Mako made to move as if he wanted to follow him, but Iroh shook his head.

"Leave him alone, Mako. He needs some time to think."

Mako sat back and sighed, knowing that Iroh was right but feeling horrible about what his brother was going through.

Outside, Bolin paced silently with his fists clenched at his sides. Out of nowhere, he let out an angry growl and tossed a giant boulder across the clearing using his bending. Then, he leaned against a wall and slowly slid down until he was seated. He bent his legs, folded his arms so his elbows rested on his knees, and then lowered his head onto them.

"Jin, I'm so sorry. I promised I would be there for you and now I'm stuck here. Please, Spirits, be okay," He muttered squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Immediately, he found his mind wandering back to a discussion that he had with his wife just before he shipped out.

_"Bo, I'm just not sure about this anymore. I don't think I can do this by myself." She said uncertainly from her seat on the couch. Bolin sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her slightly swollen waist._

_"I know this is going to be tough for us, but I also think it's a good thing. The job pays very well and as soon as you and the baby are strong enough, you can come with me. With our son on the way, we could use the extra money. We can do this. We've been through worse." He insisted, resting his hand on her slightly protruding belly and softly stroking it with his thumb._

_"I'm not saying you shouldn't go; I just know I'll worry about you and be anxious about the baby. I want you to go. I…I just…I know it's going to be really difficult." Jinora could feel tears wanting to force their way out and she fought them off with all of her strength._

_Bolin gently grabbed Jinora and scooted her onto his lap. As soon as she was there, she leaned her head against his chest and he placed his hand back in its previous position on her belly._

_"What if you miss our son being born? What if I need you and you can't get back to me? It's not like you'll be at my beck and call. Bo, I'm scared. There is a baby growing inside of me that you put there, you should be here for everything. We're responsible for another life. I'm still gripping at that being scary. Doing this without you, where you might not be safe, I am scared." Her voice cracked at the end of that sentence and Bolin held her more firmly in his arms._

_"I know it's all scary, sweetie. I can't be here to perform my pre-fatherly duties and for that you have my deepest regret and my infinite servitude. But, I promise you, I'll be here to see our son come into the world. I'm going to be right by your side, okay?" _

_Jinora nodded and sniffled. Her eyes had begun to water, but that's as far as she allowed it to go._

_"We can send each other letters every day. I'm sure we'll have access to the phone every now and then too." Bolin continued and Jinora appreciated his effort to make her feel better. She remained quiet, still sniffling knowing he wouldn't be able to write that often and that phones weren't standard procedure. Bolin continued to clutch her in his arms, wishing he could protect her from this. When she wouldn't speak after several long moments, he looked down at her in concern._

_"Please say something, Jin. I need to know you're going to be okay with this. If you aren't I will find a way out of it."_

_After another short moment of silence, Jinora breathed a heavy sigh and quietly said,_

_"I'll be okay. I don't want you to worry about me. I want you to go." Her voice trembled as she spoke and Bolin felt his heart breaking. Here she was, newly pregnant and fearful, but still trying to remain strong for him._

_"You're amazing, you know that? My amazing, strong, beautiful, confident, sexy wife." he mumbled into her hair and she reached up to place her hand on his cheek as she looked him straight in the eyes. Her expression was serious and Bolin's gaze never wavered._

_"No matter what happens, I just need you to come back to me safe and sound. Can you do that for me?" she asked and he nodded insistently._

_"Safe and sound is my middle name. I thought my wife would know that." he said and this garnered the small smile from her that he was hoping for. _

_Then he began to plant a series of light kisses on her collarbone and earlobe, which made her giggle. As they both sat there snuggled together, they silently accepted that this would be a difficult journey, but everything would be fine in the end._

By the time he had finished replaying the scene in his mind, he could feel himself starting to lose control of his emotions. Just as he ran his uniform sleeve over the dampness of his eyes, he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. The person then sat down next to him quietly and, after a momentary pause, said,

"So, what do we do now, little bro?"

"I don't know, Mako. I don't know. I just wish I could at least hear her voice and make sure she's alright."

"You can, you know."

Bolin glanced over at Mako in confusion as he continued, "Obviously we don't have phone privileges, but we do have connections and special circumstances. Normally, civilian phone lines are unable to access military lines, but Iroh has agreed to override the system on his phone line and make an exception for you. Normally, that's only done in emergencies, so it's a massive favor. If you can pull yourself together and get back inside, then you can talk to her."

Eyes wide with expectation, Bolin jumped to his feet and ran inside as fast as he could, leaving his older brother nodding silently with a small smile on his face. He was glad to see that Bolin had snapped out of his stupor and was ready to fight his way back to his family.

When Bolin had arrived back in Iroh's office, he found the general on the phone with one hand raised in the air as if to say, "Hold on." Then after several seconds passed, Iroh handed him the receiver.

"They're patching the call through to her room. Wait a moment and she'll be on." Iroh said, patting his shoulder. Bolin whispered a thank you to him and he smiled warmly in response. Then he left the room to give Bolin some privacy while he spoke with his wife.

Bolin felt as if his heart would burst out of his chest at the mere thought that he would hear Jinora's lilting voice again. As the wait became unbearable, he suddenly heard a voice that sounded like Pema's distantly say, "Jinora, phone." Then he heard some mumbled voices before the clear, light tone of the voice he was waiting for came through on the line.

"This is Jinora." She said simply and Bolin felt a lump trying to form in his throat. All he could manage to say was one single word:

"Nora." He breathed and he heard a strong gasp over the line.

"Bo? Is that you?!" she said in complete disbelief and Bolin nodded as if she could see it.

"Yes, it's me. I've missed you, baby. Are you okay?"

Almost immediately Bolin could hear a sobbing noise come through the other line.

"I can't believe it's you," she choked out and Bolin felt tears spring into his eyes at the sound of her distressed relief.

"Jin, how are you? How's the baby? I got the last letter from your mom. To be honest, I'm not handling it well."

"I'm okay, Bo." Jinora knew she would have to downplay this to avoid his hysterics. "I just have high blood pressure and I have to stay on bed rest to make sure nothing harms Adan. He's good, too. He's very active and rowdy. Aunt Kya thinks he might be an earthbender, like his daddy." Her voice was full of concern, compassion and pure love for this man.

Bolin was caught off guard but then smiled slowly as he said, "Adan? Is that the name you chose for him? I thought we were going to wait?"

Jinora suddenly realized that she had let that slip unknowingly.

"I came up with it a few months ago. I got tired of calling him 'it' or 'the baby' all day. Do you hate it? Be honest, Bolin. Don't agree just to make me happy." She said in the best stern voice she could muster but her efforts were thwarted by the squeak tone of her tear filled words.

"No, no. I love it, Jin. I love you so much. Adan, is going to be so lucky to have such a remarkable mom." His thoughts were filled with visions of their future with this child, everything suddenly more real with a name for their baby boy.

Jinora felt her grip on her emotions slipping again as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"I can't. . .I need you here, Bo. Please, baby. Please come home. This is all too much. I can't do this by myself anymore."

Her tone stabbed into Bolin's heart and again and he fought off a strong wave of mixed emotions.

"Jinora, I don't know if I can. Things have changed. The situation here has evolved and now it's probable that I can't leave when I was scheduled to." He clenched his teeth and held his breath for her reaction.

"But, the baby could come early! You _promised_ me you'd be here by my side. I don't know what I'll do without you here. . .you. . .promised." She was openly sobbing now and Bolin gripped the receiver tightly as he fisted a clump of his hair in his hand and squeezed his tear-filled eyes shut. This was becoming too much for them; he had to put the well-being of his family first.

"I'll talk to my superiors. I'll get some pull with Iroh. I'll figure this out and I'll get to you somehow. I'm serious about that. If they want to fire me over it, then so be it. But, I will get to you and Adan. I made a promise that I intend to keep."

The resolve in his voice comforted her and her sobs began to subside slightly.

"Don't get fired over me. I'm just overreacting. It's not worth that." She tried to see reason through her hormones, trying to sober her reaction.

"I promised you. I don't break promises to my girl. Now, the letter said something about this condition being life threatening. Is that true?" He paused for her response, but he just heard her breathing. "Nora, being in the dark here is not helping me. I am starting to become increasingly petrified."

"If I don't manage this stress and lower my blood pressure, it could lead to some complications that could be life threatening. I'm trying my best but it's not easy to relax with this pressure."

"Please try to relax, sweetie. For me and for Adan, okay? Your boys need you healthy and happy. Just like you don't know what you'd do without me, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. Take care of yourself. That's an order straight from your commanding officer."

The emotion in the conversation was hitting its peak, even with his attempt at a joking, and the couple remained silent for a moment as they let everything that was said sink in.

"I will try my best. I don't know how, but I will. I have to…" Jinora replied after a long moment.

"Don't worry about anything. This is all going to work out. I know it." Bolin said, trying to convince himself that it was a true statement.

"You don't know that!"

"Jinora, you are my wife. I love you to the ends of the earth. No matter what happens, we _will_ get through it. Those are facts."

Jinora smiled faintly as she thought about how little she deserved this man who promised to stay by her side for the rest of her life and how grateful she was for such a gift.

Then, the two continued their conversation, both relieved to finally be able to talk but still feeling more than anxious about what their future might hold.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, it has been so long! I've had major computer issues! Me and AvatarFan82 are back in action. Let us know how you feel about the story we would LOVE to hear some feedback!**

**Also sorry to anyone who is looking for updates on my other stories, I am sorely lacking inspiration.**

* * *

After Bolin hung up the phone, Jinora fell to the floor in a heap, letting out all of the emotions she had reigned in over the course of the phone call. She had down played her condition as much as possible without lying to her husband. She had been allowed to walk around minimally, sit and lay down. Even then everyone was coddling her. She was going to go stir crazy. She needed mental stimulation or something to get her mind off of him.

Rohan happened to be walking by her room, peered inside, and found her sobbing on the floor, lost in these thoughts.

"Nora! Sis hey, hey it's okay. . It's alright. " He hugged her close to his chest and stroked her hair. "Shh Shh. Jinora what's wrong? It's alright deep breaths. Deep breaths."

His sister was a wreck. He'd never seen her this distraught. Her body was wracked with tremors and rough breaths coated with tears. Occasionally, she'd gasp for breath as if she would never get enough. Slowly, the severity of the weeping calmed enough for her to be understood.

"It's Bolin. He called. He's not going to be able to make it back for a while. But at least he's okay. They've been having some mail problems. I'm just not sure how strong I can be with everything. He said he probably won't be back until after Adan is born. It's just one thing after another that I cannot handle. Earthbender, bed rest, No husband. I just can't take it all." She explained as she broke down into a fresh round of sobs.

"Hey, hey. No more of that alright. I know I can't help a lot of that, but what if I got you some things? I could go to your house and bring back some books, your writing stuff, maybe even your writing desk?"

"Would I even be allowed to use any of that?"

"I'll convince Mom."

Rohan took Jinora's silence as approval of his plan and let out a shuddering breath.

"Come on, though. I can't just leave you here on the floor." He continued as he helped Jinora up off of the floor and walked her over to her bed. "You rest for now."

"Thanks."

Rohan walked from the bedrooms and off to find his mother, whom he found in the kitchen. As he explained his idea, she was not taking kindly to it.

"She needs something Mom! She needs to do something that's not crocheting the poor kid another damn blanket! He already has enough blankets, booties, hats, and scarves for his whole life. It's creepy."

"No. She needs to stay calm. She does not need stimulation. "

"She needs distraction. It was Bo on the phone for her. He isn't coming home. He won't be back in time. She's worried out of her head. She can't cook or clean meditate, airbend, read or write. She has nothing left from her life before bed rest. She's suffocating and you can't even see it!"

"I dislike the manner in which you are speaking to your mother."

"Dad!"

Tenzin then rushed into the room at the sound of his son's insistent shout.

"What's wrong! Pema?!" he exclaimed in panic as his wife tried to calm him.

"It's fine, Tenzin. Rohan's just concerned about his sister."

Tenzin wheeled around to face his youngest child who was now growing into a strong young man.

"Is Jinora alright?"

"No!" Rohan shouted at the same moment his mother shouted "Yes."

"No." Rohan repeated himself more calmly. "All she is allowed to do is lie down all day and that cannot be good for her or the baby. Just let her do things but do them lying down. I'll make sure she doesn't overdo it. You can even enforce meal times and a schedule. Just let her enjoy herself. I'm tired of seeing her cry sad tears at everything, not just emotional pregnant girl things but everything. Body rattling sobs when no one else is watching."

"That cannot be good for their health." Tenzin surmised. "Go get her things from the house. Take Oogi and your brother. Get whatever you think she'll want."

Rohan gave his dad a quick hug before running off to find his older brother.

"Thanks dad! You're the best!"

As he retreated down the foyer and out the front door, Pema glared angrily at her husband.

"Tenzin! I cannot believe you undermined me in front of him."

Tenzin sighed wearily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Darling, we've been parenting long enough. He's growing up now, it's not exactly undermining."

Pema crossed her arms in mock anger, muttering, "Still. It doesn't help my reputation as the hardnosed one."

Tenzin walked over to his wife and gently began to rub her shoulders. Then he leaned down closely to her ear and whispered,  
"Honey, that reputation simply doesn't exist."

Pema playfully hit his arm as he leaned down again to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek before walking through the front entry way after his son.

Pema then got to her feet and headed into the guest room to check on her eldest daughter once more.

* * *

**Meelo and Rohan moved everything very carefully around Jinora's room, while she was still sleeping, in order to surprise her when she awoke after her breakdown-induced nap. They brought a shelf filled with her books, her writings, pens and notebooks, and a variety of other trinkets they thought she might enjoy.**

The brothers had also brought Korra and her gaggle of children back with them to the island. They were on the island more often than not nowadays. Korra would miss Jinora and come over to spend time with her. Sometimes it seemed as if she just needed adult time, what with her husband being gone along with his brother. Asami, her other best friend, had left to be with her husband who was the United Forces General. Lucky for her, she had the luxury of travelling at will.

Korra's kids were used to her or Mako leaving for periods of time for work, often at the same time, and staying on the island in their absences. Not that the kids didn't miss their parents; it was just part of their world. They didn't know anything different.

Jinora woke up to a completely rearranged room, with Korra sitting in the corner rocking chair with her baby girl. Korra was nursing her and talking sweetly to her.

"I know sweetie. I miss daddy too. He makes your favorite silly faces and sings the best lullabies, huh?" She picked up her baby girl and rubbed circles on her back when she heard the telltale burp and subsequent spit up.

"But mommy has food and is a good target for vomit." Jinora said mocking her friend and Korra shot her a playfully stern look.

"How do you like it?" she asked gesturing to the room as she wiped up the burp cloth. "Your brothers worked hard to fix it up while you were resting. It's the least those brats could do. We do all the cleaning and cooking and all they do is play around with my kids. Gotta get some real work out of those boys sometimes. I also brought you this. I figured you could fill it out in your spare time." Korra handed Jinora a book and then left her room to go put her youngest offspring down for a nap.

Jinora picked up the book that she had been presented with and began to rummage through it. It was a baby book, one meant to be used to catalog everything about the child as an infant. She went through, immediately struck with initiative, and filled out the basics: when she was pregnant, what the name choices had been, how mommy and daddy found out, but she stopped on food she had craved thinking hard about it. She hadn't had anything abnormal for cravings. Occasionally a strong dislike of a food but only one food called to her in during her pregnancy: fireflakes.

There was one particular day she remembered in which she had made pancakes for dinner. It wasn't completely abnormal for Jinora to have breakfast for dinner, however Bolin found it completely disorienting that Jinora covered hers in fireflakes.

"I know it's weird, but the baby wants what it wants and it's not like I am making you eat it. I made yours separate."

"All you keep eating is fireflakes and sugar, sweet and spicy things."

"Everything else sounds disgusting. I'm tired of being hungry because I am trying to be healthy. So my figure be damned I'm going to eat what I want."

"You'll be sexy to me no matter what your figure is."

"Love has blinded you."

"Pregnancy has jaded you."

"Hmph. Well jade is my favorite color anyways." She replied smartly with a smirk. "Can we paint the baby's room that color?

"Babies' rooms aren't supposed to be dark. It's supposed to be light and airy, like you." He told her with a hint of his flirtatious nature in his voice.

"Very cute. But a lighter shade would be appropriate and the baby will be able to grow into it as well for when we move back."

"This assignment could be a while, Jin. We could be there for a year or two. More if I get promoted. I don't want you getting too settled into everything." This position was a big step for Bolin. The program was rather new, however, and length and promotion were unchartered territory.

"I still have to live here, jerk. I still have seven months with this baby in my belly. Then, however long until I can travel with the kid. I'd rather just be happy with it now."

"Alright, sweetheart, you want to come with me to get the paint? Because I know if I don't do it you will and I don't approve of you doing it. It's not safe."

"Overprotective man." She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"But you love it anyway."

"I do. I'm gonna miss it." Her eyes trailed down to her lap as she rolled her lips tightly together trying to keep her hormonal tears from falling.

Bolin mumbled as he ate fireflakes, quickly shoving them in his mouth. It had been a few days since talking to Jinora, all of it spent worrying about her. All he could do was keep eating fireflakes because he knew she would be eating them too. It was the only way he could feel truly connected to his soulmate right now.

However, today was different. He felt an extra layer of stress surrounding him. He had just finished his appeal to the board for emergency leave. He had everything planned out. If he could take leave now, he would give up his extended vacation time when she came to live with him. He cited his wife's condition as a family emergency and presented a lesson plan to the board. He would leave his trainees to perfect their very lacking basics. His graduate trainees would help to teach them after that; they were all doing dissertations and didn't need him for the time being. It would all work out. It had to.

"Bo." Iroh said once again, pulling Bolin out of his thoughts. "They'll do it. You can go."

Iroh's face pulled into a smile. "The deal puts you in the reserves for five years though, and you'll get half pay until you report back two weeks after the birth."

Bolin's pale green eyes widened in shock as he stared back at the general in utter disbelief.

"That's it though? I can leave!?"

"Yes. Your cadets will be split into patrols to be led by your graduates. They will be experiencing the new leadership experience one of the University students wrote about in a dissertation."

Bolin nodded with a smirk on his face. "That'll be one of Jin's students, I remember reading that one. Well… I look forward to the results, sir." He said with a salute.

"Don't salute me Lieutenant Commander. You just get home to your wife. Take your brother with you. He's been given reprieve as well. Your ship leaves this evening; I suggest you two hustle."

"Thanks Iroh!" Bolin shouted as he ran to track down Mako. Iroh shook his head at his friend's silly but warranted actions. He hurried to his own office to finish up the paperwork for their leave, eager to get home to his own wife and daughters.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Bro! Come on! We're going to miss the boat!" Bolin called excitedly back to his older brother who was struggling to tote both of their luggage.

"I would if you carried your own stuff, Bo! Geez, why am I carrying your bags anyway?" Mako huffed as he half-carried, half-dragged the bags behind him.

"I already explained this! If we're both weighed down by bags then who will make sure the boat doesn't leave?" Bolin rolled his eyes at this brother.

Mako sighed heavily and heard Bolin squeal loudly from a few feet in front of him. He looked up in alarm only to see the naval vessel that would be transporting them home. He couldn't help but smile in spite of himself as he thought about returning to Republic City after such a long time away. He was happier for his brother because he needed to be with his wife right now. But Mako was truly excited to also be with his wife and kids as well. He had barely gotten to spend any time with his newborn daughter before having to leave. As always, he missed Korra desperately.

"Mako! Quit grinning like an idiot and hurry up! It's going to leave without us!" Bolin yelled, snapping him out of his peaceful thoughts of home.

Bolin finally ran up to him and grabbed his bags and both men sprinted toward the vessel and prepared to board. A few of the naval academy recruits helped load their items, while their travel documents were being processed. They made their way to the deck and then gazed out at the shores of Ba Sing Se as the boat began to set sail.

Mako wrapped an arm around his little brother's shoulders as he said,

"Ready to go meet your son?"

Bolin nodded and his eyes misted over as he thought about Jinora and Adan. He couldn't wait to run to her and wrap his arms around her. He just hoped she would be healthy and he truly hoped their little boy would delay his entrance into the world until he arrived.

Jinora slid down her top as she sighed deeply. If she had to endure one more examination, she would surely scream. The check-ups had gone from weekly, to bi-weekly, to daily and now they were checking her blood pressure about every hour. Jinora would be happy if after the birth she never had to see Jia again. She never wanted anyone to touch her stomach or make her spread her legs. If she saw another needle coming after her—she didn't know what she would do. She was so done with all things relating to pregnancy.

Jia smiled sympathetically as she put away her tools and patted Jinora's leg.

"Everything looks good, my friend. The baby's heart rate is within a range I am happy with and he seems to be resting peacefully. How do you feel?"

Jinora shifted her position slightly as she re-adjusted her pillows for what seemed like the fifth time in twenty minutes. No position or amount of cushioning would ever make her feel comfortable again.

"I'm okay. A little uncomfortable from lying in this bed, no, extremely uncomfortable, but I'm okay."

"Well, your blood pressure is better today, but still on the very high end of normal. I want you to take it easy, and be more cautious than usual so that it won't spike again like it did yesterday."

Jinora nodded, remembering how horrible she had felt and how Jia, Kya, and her mom were very close to transporting her to a hospital in the city. She had begged them not to and, after some rest, her pressure had reduced barely to the normal range.

"You've made it to 33 weeks and if we can get you to 35 or 36, I think we'll be in good shape if Adan comes. I want him to stay in as long as he can because it will reduce complications after he's born. But we don't want you to get blood clots or bed sores either. I'll be sure to remind Pema that you can do some assisted walking."

_Plus, maybe Bo will be here by then,_ she found herself thinking as she gently stroked her bulging abdomen. She shook her head as if to dismiss the thought and chuckled bitterly. She already knew it was an impossibility for her husband to join her, but some part of her still held out false hope.

"Everything okay, Jin?" Jia said, placing a hand on her shoulders and interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something. What did you say?"

Jia nodded, knowing exactly who it was that was on her mind, and then stood upright.

"That you do need to do a little, and I stress a _little_, moving I'll leave you to rest for now. Call me, if you need anything. "

Jinora nodded, absently thanking Jia, and then returned to her internal thought processes. As she lay there in her bed, she found her mind wandering to the day Bolin had left for Ba Sing Se.

_Jinora couldn't help herself. The tears were flowing uncontrollably down her cheeks and she had given up trying to stop them. Being well into her second trimester (a little over 4 months pregnant) Jinora's energy was returning but her control of her emotions was unstable at best. She felt as if the only thing keeping her on her feet in that moment was Bolin's arms wrapped tightly around her._

_"It'll all be okay. I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but it will. I promise." He murmured into her hair as she clutched him firmly. Her sniffling was constant and the shudders that racked her body had gone from violent to steady. "Hey," He said firmly yet softly. He tilted her chin up with his knuckle. "I don't break my promises do I?" She gave him a tight lipped smile and shook her head._

_Finally, she pulled away slightly and grabbed her husband's hand. She gently pressed it against her enlarged tummy and Bolin's eyes widened._

_"He's so active! It feels like he's doing flips in there!" he said, gazing into his wife's red-rimmed eyes. It was truly a miracle; she was. Most women wouldn't put up with him on a regular basis, but Jinora's love for him was unwavering, even through this._

_She nodded and sniffled again. _

_"I think it's his way of saying he's going to miss you, too." Her voice was thick and getting caught in her throat toward the end of her statement. Bolin gave her a sad smile and pressed his lips firmly against her forehead. Then he lowered himself to his knees and placed both his hands on her belly._

_"Son, daddy's going to miss you and your mommy very much. Please be sweet to her while I'm gone and don't give her too much trouble. She's going to be very worried about you, so grow strong in there and be a good boy. Daddy loves you very much."_

_Bolin leaned in and tenderly kissed her midsection. When he got back to his feet and glanced up at Jinora, he saw fresh tears coating her cheeks causing the little makeup she wore to run from her eyes. This time, though, he knew they were not the distressed tears she had been crying before._

_"He calmed down a lot while you were talking. He likes it when you talk to him. It's almost like he focuses to listen to you." Jinora said, placing her hand on his cheek. Without responding, he pulled her in closely and pressed his lips against hers in a deep and fervent kiss. Jinora just went along for the ride, allowing Bolin to sweep her into his arms and support her as he continued to kiss her ardently._

_When he finally pulled away, Jinora was breathless and slightly flushed, only adding to the glow of her pregnancy._

_"Wow, Bo. That was…intense." She informed him with a smirk._

_Bolin gave a wry smile as he winked at her. _

_"I just wanted to give you something to remember me by."_

_Jinora smirked as she patted her slightly protruding abdomen. "I think you already gave me something like that, Bolin."_

_Bolin paused for a moment in surprise and then laughed out loud at her response. Jinora couldn't help but giggle as she saw him doubled over, lost in his fit. _

_When he finally calmed down enough and caught his breath, he stood upright and wiped his eyes._

_"Nice one, Jin. That was classic."_

_After he had completely calmed down, he wrapped his arms around her again and smoothed her hair._

_"All jokes aside, are you sure you're okay? With everything?"_

_Jinora nodded as she forced a small smile._

_"I'll be fine, Bo. This is going to be really hard, but we'll be okay. Please don't worry."_

_Bolin wrapped her in a final strong hug before letting her go and stepping away._

_"I love you so much, Jinora. I'll be back as soon as I can."_

_"I love you. Be safe." She called, her eyes starting to water again. Before she knew it, he had blown her a kiss and then retreated off toward the naval vessel._

_She wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him leave and forced herself to focus on positive thoughts about his safety and return._

_'Please come back to me, Bo. We need you.'_

_With one quick swipe of her eyes, she turned and headed back the way she had come, making a beeline for home._

Jinora found herself swiping her eyes again at the memory. She looked down at her belly and sighed.

"You weren't supposed to give mommy any problems…remember what daddy said?" she said aloud. Then she gave her belly a loving pat as she continued.

"It's okay. I just want you to be healthy and happy. Mommy will be okay."

She realized that this was the first time she had an extended conversation with Adan and it made her feel better to be able to talk to him this way. Before she knew it, she found herself feeling sleepy. She snuggled back down into the covers, yawning, and momentarily lay her head down on her pillow. A mental picture of Bolin, Adan, and her standing together smiling popped into her head at that moment. A small smile drifted across her lips at the image of her little family finally reuniting and that was her last conscious thought before completely falling asleep.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Here you are sweetpeas and chickadees! Hope you enjoy!**

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Two weeks passed without incident, for both Jinora and Bolin.

Jinora spent her time writing, trying to focus on her novels rather than the texts for the classes she guest lectured on Airbending history and technique. To her parents shock and her brother's approval her writing and change of atmosphere caused her blood pressure to be consistently maintained, succeeding in keeping Jinora from over analyzing and panic attacks. No one had heard from Mako or Bolin.

Jinora had kept her worries bottled up inside so that her family wouldn't worry, but the moment Korra came for her next visit, she expressed her concerns very clearly.

"Where the hell are they!? We should have heard something by now!" she exclaimed in exasperation to the avatar.

"Calm down." Korra told her sister-in-law, gently patting her shoulder.

"Korra, we haven't heard from them at all. I thought they were supposed to fix the mail system. My good-for-nothing husband can't be here to see his son's birth and how I am supposed to tell him in the first place. I could be dead for all he knows." Her melodramatics were conducted from her perpetual residence of her bed.

"Jin, deep breaths. In and out. Just because you keep your bun in the oven longer than expected doesn't mean he needs to be early. You have to keep calm to keep him in." Korra fretted, slightly panicking. Just because she was her sister-in-law, the Avatar and a healer didn't mean she wanted to deliver the baby now.

"I just want to meet him, but you're right. How do you do it? Mako's gone all the time or you're gone." Jinora exasperatedly moaned.

"It's not that we don't miss each other we just cope. To be fair he never left me ill, or pregnant. Always with the newborns, but never for long. You'll be able to go live with him and it'll get easier." She tried against her nature to be a blind optimist for her friend's sake.

"Then my whole family is here and I'm not. I can't win."

"You're pregnant and pessimistic, you can't." Korra chuckled as she soothingly rubbed the pregnant woman's back.

The ship sailed smoothly, albeit slowly. It was a naval ship sailing for Republic City, yet it had to make port in other cities as well. The process was tedious and slow. The men would spar with the ship's crew to pass the time. The brothers sent their wives letters and received no reply. Bolin was more than a little worried, and because of his tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, his brother was well aware of this fact.

"They can't send us letters. They have no idea where we'll be." Mako reminded Bolin.

"Mako, you can't blame me for worrying. For all I know she could be dead." Mako rolled his eyes at his drama queen of a brother. Not that it wasn't a possibility, but anyone who knew Bolin longer for a day knew about his tendency to react in extremes.

"If she was they would take dire measures to come find you. She's fine. Trust in that."

Bolin looked away uncertainly as he began to twirl a lock of his hair.

"It's my first kid Mako. My own little baby boy, I have to get there. I HAVE to know if he's alright, all ten fingers and ten toes!"

Mako nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He remembered having the same feelings as he and Korra waited in anticipation of their first child years ago.

"She probably hasn't had the baby yet. Korra's probably sitting on her to prevent her from getting out of bed and I'm sure the rest of the family is acting similarly." Mako tried to sound upbeat but was unsure if his tone was getting through.

However, Bolin pressed on as if Mako hadn't spoken a word.

"And I'm sure my wife would love to airbend everyone right to the spirit world for this type of confinement. I'll be lucky if she ever agrees to have another kid."

"You both want as many as you can afford and then some. Not to mention Jinora thinks it's her sole purpose to spread her airbending genes to as many children as she can."

Bolin looked away as he recalled the day that Jinora saw her aunt after finding out about her pregnancy.

"She said Kya thought he'd be an earthbender. I know that Jin will love him nonetheless, but still I think it broke her heart. Hard to tell though she just sounded so completely broken anyway."

Bolin sounded broken enough in that moment for the both of them and Mako squeezed his shoulder in encouragement. He knew there wasn't much more he could say to allay his brother's fears, so he decided to state the obvious.

"We'll be there soon Bo, soon."

Jinora was tossing and turning in her sleep. She was in the middle of her afternoon nap, sweating profusely and mumbling in her sleep.

It had been such a nice dream.

She was at her baby shower. Her sister threw it for her early so that Bolin could be there. She was happily sitting next to her husband as people played games to guess the baby's name and weight, boy or girl, leaving bits of knowledge for the parents in a scrapbook that Pema made.

Bolin glanced at her from his seat next to her and tenderly slipped an arm around her waist.

"This makes me feel like we're really a family…that we're really having a baby, Jin." He whispered and her eyes shone as the smile on her face broadened. Jinora knew exactly what her husband meant and took his hand into hers with a squeeze.

"I know, Bo. Now that it's real to everyone else, it makes it feel more real to me, too."

They shared quick kiss and then Jinora tried to turn her attention to the next activity to be presented.

And despite all the fun her friends and family were having all she wanted was to be alone with her husband, to enjoy as much time together before he left. It was hard to appreciate either with her constant nausea and subsequent vomiting, but she had to be a trooper for them.

Out of nowhere, she felt a strange pain in her stomach and immediately placed a hand there with a look of confusion on her face. None of the guests seemed to notice, as they were filling out forms and laughing, but Bolin immediately saw her actions and became instantly alert without drawing mass attention.

"Jin, what's up? Is everything okay?" He said, placing a hand on her back.

"I don't know. I just felt this pain, and…ooh, there it is again." She said, her breath almost being taken away from the suddenness of it. Bolin helped her to her feet and promptly headed down the hall to the nearest restroom. Jinora was vaguely aware that, as she looked around, it seemed that there was no one in the area except the two of them. It was as if everyone else had just disappeared. Jinora had no problem with that because the idea of breaking down in agony in front of a crowd was not her idea of the perfect baby shower.

"Okay, just breathe. Here, let's go in the bathroom." He said opening the door and closing it behind them. As soon as she entered, she dropped to her knees and began vomiting into the toilet. Bolin rubbed her back as she emptied the small contents of her stomach. She then flushed the toilet and got slowly back to her feet as Bolin closed the lid and gingerly lowered her onto it.

"Better?" he asked, wiping away sweat beads that had formed on her brow.

"I can't tell. I just-" and this time her words were cut off by a yelp of pain that came out nowhere. She clutched her stomach tightly as she doubled over.

"Jin? Jin, stay with me! What do you want me to do?" he asked in alarm, kneeling in front of her. She turned her tear filled eyes up at him and replied,

"I need help, Bo. Something's happening!"

The pain was so real she was woken up from her slumber. After a few deep breaths, Jinora was sure the pain was all in her head. She decided to try to get a few more moments of rest before dinner. She was just on the edge of sleep when the pain returned, not sharp but tight, aching and very real. Her abdomen tightened as the pain hit, causing Jinora to sit up and clutch her belly through the pain. She tried to breathe through the contraction (she was almost sure that was what it was now) as Jia had instructed, and did it semi-successfully, but once it was over, found tears welling in her eyes. She realized that it wasn't really the pain causing this reaction, but the realization that it was finally time to deliver Adan and Bolin really wasn't going to be here. He would miss the birth of his son.

"No, please. Not now," she whispered to her belly, as if to tell Adan to wait.

"Bo, you have to hurry. He's coming. Adan's coming. Please." Her last word came out as a plea as her contraction subsided and she took in a deep breath. She hoped he was magically close by, but was prepared for the worst.

The ship's captain let the brothers know that they should be arriving in Republic City within the next day or two. The wind and weather seemed to be with them, rushing them home to their family.

"We'll get to see our families soon." Mako assured Bolin after the captain left their quarters with the positive news.

"Our families." Bo said in disbelief. "Remember when we didn't have a family?"

"We always had each other." Mako spoke as he put his arm around his brother.

"Always. But now we have two families to come home to. One big one if you think about it. Our duo of a family grown seven fold."

"And with our family of friends even bigger."

"It's nice to think that Mom and Dad would be proud of us. I'm sure they're in the Spirit World watching us and their grandkids like it's the most intense pro-bending match."

"Which it sometimes has been." The brothers laughed thinking back to the fading memories of their late parents, but a dark feeling came over Bolin then that he couldn't explain. He decided not to say anything to his brother about it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening with Jinora and that he needed to get to her immediately.

Jinora waited until she was absolutely positive she was having contractions to call for her mother. She let two more come and pass slowly to be sure she wasn't dreaming again.

"Uh, uhm, Mom… MOM…Korra?!" There was no reply. "Oh for Spirits sake, for months you people wait on me hand and foot and hover and suffocate me, but when I actually need someone you all feign deafness! Somebody get in here!"

Meelo and Skoochy popped their heads in with questioning looks on their faces.

"You rang?" Meelo inquired of his sister.

"Can one of you go get Jia or Korra and the other help me into the wheelchair?"

"Ikki said you weren't supposed to leave your room."

"Skoochy, if you want me to birth a son in my bedroom then I'll stay right here, but I think I should get to the midwives in the acolyte buildings to do so, don't you?"

"You're giving birth now?" Meelo squeaked.

"You pair sure are slow. Not at this very moment but it's coming, so go find Mom, Jia, Korra or anyone else with more sense please." Meelo ran down the hallway as Skoochy pushed her in the wheelchair.

"He's going to stay inside you until we get there right?" He was slightly panicking under his calm façade.

"It could take hours, or days really but it could be less. I've been told the first take the longest. Lucky me." Jinora tried to placate her brother's fears but all the while wished there was someone there to placate hers.

Thus began the longest waits of their lives.

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